Could iPhone XR sales really dwarf those of the XS and XS Max?

Is the hype train on the wrong track? Despite much of the focus being on Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max phones, following last week’s launch, Apple is seemingly anticipating the colourful iPhone XR will be the biggest hit of the new trio.

According to reports, the more affordable iPhone XR will account for more than 50% of all 2018 iPhones Apple produces in the next few months.

DigiTimes sources (via Apple Insider) say Apple is planning to build 20 million iPhone XR models next month, with pre-orders starting on October 19. In comparison, Apple only plans to manufacture 4 to 5 million units of the top shelf iPhone XS Max per month, the report says.

All things considered, it wouldn’t be such a surprise if the iPhone XR proved to be the best seller of the three. Starting at £749/$749, it’s by far the most accessible of the three handsets in terms of price point.

There’s also enough in terms of features for some iPhone users to have the impression of parity with the higher-end models. There’s Face ID, the almost full-screen display and an attractive design that differs only from the flagships in terms of the materials used.

It also offers wireless charging and a wider range of colours that’s likely to appeal strongly to some segments of the smartphone market. The trade-off is those lesser materials, the single-lens rear-facing camera, the choice of LCD instead of OLED, and the lack of 3D Touch functionality.

However, the saving of at least £250 over the iPhone XS range is likely to appeal to iPhone users looking to upgrade from an iPhone 8 or earlier. Meanwhile, for those used to buying the best iPhones there doesn’t seem enough of an incentive for iPhone X users to upgrade to the XS or the XS Max, which look very much like iterative updates.

Which of the 2018 iPhones are you most intrigued by? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.